Swine Flu Flies Into the Air Force Academy

Deck

When it comes to swine flu, federal health officials are taking the approach of "better safe than sorry." Although the unusual H1N1 virus is predicted to hit pandemic levels later this year, it isn't much more harmful than any other flu strain. Still, the feds are taking no chances and will spend $1 billion on vaccines to prevent the spread of the flu, which could infect massive numbers of people, including the elderly and the young, who are most susceptible to complications that include death (via CBS News). So far, 211 Americans have died after contracting the virus, which is still spreading---even among cadets at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Fifteen cadet trainees---new freshmen---have the virus and another 74 who have shown symptoms have been isolated for testing, according to the Air Force Times. Meanwhile, Ken and Ruth Beukema, who traveled to China last month, aren't sure what Chinese officials were thinking. On their first day in Beijing, the Beukemas were taken from their tour group and ordered to pack for a week of quarantine because officials worried they might have swine flu, writes the Colorado Springs Gazette.

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